brokers....doh....

PeterM · 02 March 2014, 14:47

Went to look at a boat at a brokers yesterday and was amazed by the approach.

Boat was filthy, they weren't keen for me to even take the cover off, they knew nothing about it, had virtually no paper work, didn't know about what offers may be accepted or how any of the kit fitted worked!!

It might just fit in my drive, but I'm wondering if this is the usual sort of thing people come across.

In my jobs you have to know about your job and what you're selling...I was a little surprised by the above....

ShinyShoe · 02 March 2014, 14:49

is that not the thing with brokerage - they aren't selling the owner is they are just reporting what the owner said...

PeterM · 02 March 2014, 14:55

Maybe, but they're making a commission.

It's like me selling an insurance policy saying 'it might cover you if it gets stolen...here read the policy wording and you'll find out'......just be totally unprofessional...

Just a lack of pride in being professional really was what surprised me.

CJL · 02 March 2014, 15:56

Surely they are supposed to be providing a service to the vendor and the buyer? If so then they surely they should be trying to meet the expectations of both parties and put in a bit of effort to get a sale, get a commission and end up happy all around?

I think brokers seem to be very hit and miss from what I've read about on here and other forums. Personally I've never used one as I've never wanted to share a slice of my pie and I've been willing to put the time in to sell.

Is it the boat your after or the service?

Chris

PeterM · 02 March 2014, 15:58

Just the boat...

I'd say I'm on the fence...but my fence is causing the problem in making a decision! It's too close to my house to fit the boat in (maybe)....

lakelandterrier · 02 March 2014, 16:26

I think brokers are the same as any other business: there will be good ones, bad ones, ones that have been "too busy" to attend the detail you'd be expecting, and cases where the owner hasn't given proper instructions.

This could play to your advantage - if you're happy with the actual boat / history but it's filthy & broker seems less than adequate, leverage that into a lower offer than you'd otherwise make.

Poly · 02 March 2014, 16:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterM

It's like me selling an insurance policy saying 'it might cover you if it gets stolen...here read the policy wording and you'll find out'......just be totally unprofessional...

Of course nobody ever mis-sold an insurance policy

imagine how bad it would be if your market was unregulated...

I'm guessing the RIB is at the bottom end of the price bracket that that broker sells. In which case you are asking him to put the same effort in for much lower £ in his pocket - its almost inevitable in a business of this type that he'll focus on the bigger deals.

If he sells for £2k less than it could be worth. Its probably AT MOST £160 in the brokers pocket - is that worth the hassle to maximise the value?

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterM

Just the boat...

I'd say I'm on the fence...but my fence is causing the problem in making a decision! It's too close to my house to fit the boat in (maybe)....

Perhaps, rightly or wrongly, the broker has assessed you as being unlikely to buy and therefore not worth wasting the time on. There is a lot to be said for qualifying out time wasters / tire kickers early. As with any such approach you will get some false positives and false negatives.

Of course if you are vendor you want them to work their ass off to sell your boat for the highest possible value - but its your own fault if you list through and crap outfit that is more interested in much larger value sales etc.

ShinyShoe · 02 March 2014, 16:39

But he's qualified him out wrongly. He should have been able to answer questions and be keen for the cover to come off and then PeterM would have thought "oh im sure that'll fit my drive" and handed over the £££.

matt h · 02 March 2014, 17:01

I ve tried to deal with quite a few brokers.. But they didnt give a toss.. knew nothing about the boat.. would never entertain one again.. get rid of them i say..useless idiots

Mollers · 02 March 2014, 17:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poly

... the broker has assessed you as being unlikely to buy and therefore not worth wasting the time on.

Mollers · 02 March 2014, 17:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by matt h

I ve tried to deal with quite a few brokers.. But they didnt give a toss.. knew nothing about the boat.. would never entertain one again.. get rid of them i say..useless idiots

A 'buyers' perspective.

Many sellers are happy to let brokers take a slice to avoid having to put up with chancers and 'know all' tyre kickers ruining their afternoon.

humberrib1 · 02 March 2014, 17:18

Hi Guys,

Being new to the forum and having recently bought a used Honwave T38 in really good condition, I began searching the internet for a Honda 20hp outboard. I was insearch of a used engine in excellent condition, low hours of usage, serviced by an approved agent at the manufactures specified intervals etc. I realised that my search would probably take sometime to find but I had all winter so there was no rush. Eventually, I thought that I had found the engine that ticked all the boxes at a chandlers in the South East of the country and so contacted them by e-mail and requested further information with additional photo's - no reply! I then recontacted them by e-mail with the same request - again no reply! I then contacted them by telephone and left a message - no reply! I decided to contact them one one last time and finally they obliged with a few extra photo's which gained further interest from myself. However when I recontacted the chandlers regarding a sale I was informed that the outboard engine was on brokerage and that little was known about it other than the owner had purchased it a few years ago as part of a package. The sales manager appeared totally disinterested in my enquiry and couldn't provide any information ref year of manufacture, service history records or the amount of usage in either salt or fresh water. More disappointingly the owner wouldn't contact the owner to put my questions to him/her. It all seemed very vague and put me off pursuing the sale any further! As for the sales manager of the year; I gave him minus 10 out 10 for his customer service and for losing an £1800 sale. I wonder what the owner would think and how much brokerage fee's he/she was/is paying? As for me; I found a different very approachable Mariner dealer and purchased a new engine for just a couple of hundred pounds more!!!!!!!!

matt h · 02 March 2014, 17:24

I wrongly assessed someone when i was floggin new Mercs.. chap shuffled in looked scruffy.. and stupidly enough i didn't allocate him 2 mins to say hi.. Turns out he was the MD of British Coal and bought a S500 of me colleague in under 30 mins!! aaaagh

Mollers · 02 March 2014, 17:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by matt h

I wrongly assessed someone when i was floggin new Mercs.. chap shuffled in looked scruffy.. and stupidly enough i didn't allocate him 2 mins to say hi.. Turns out he was the MD of British Coal and bought a S500 of me colleague in under 30 mins!! aaaagh

As my Old Dad always says, " Never judge a man by his suit."

PeterM · 02 March 2014, 17:32

All good points made...however when I passed over my 'boaty business card' I'd have hoped I moved from tyre kicker to something else (ribnobber?)......

In today's market if you make money from a deal it's important...(and yes what I do is regulated, I sit exams, do tests, get checked...even if it's a 150 quid a year boat insurance policy...but I'm not biting....so it's not like I'm a totally unregulated boat broker selling tens of thousand of pounds worth....but you probably don't want to know what my clients spend via me....:-))

HUMBER P4VWL · 02 March 2014, 17:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mollers

As my Old Dad always says, " Never judge a man by his suit."

.....Judge him by his shoes!

Boats&Outboards · 02 March 2014, 17:42

So who was the broker ? Come on, you all wanted to ask

www.BoatsandOutboards4Sale.co.uk

kerny · 02 March 2014, 17:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by HUMBER P4VWL

.....Judge him by his shoes!

Dry Run · 02 March 2014, 21:36

I agree with Lakelandterrier. There will be good and bad brokers as in any other business.

If I take a boat on brokerage, I like to think that I know a little about it (experience tells you what you shouldbe asking).

Although I am only acting as a broker, I don't want any negative come-back. Trust me, selling a boat for £20k and getting a 7% commission (£1,400) is not worth an unhappy customer!!!

Good brokers will get the facts up-front before offering a boat for sale.

If the vendor does not have the VAT paid certificate, service history, supporting bills, MCA bill of sale, etc. as they say on Dragons Den "I'm out"

Obviously, not every "broker" is quite so diligent, but that's life!

PeterM · 02 March 2014, 22:00

Toys out of pram time...

I'm fed up with mollers being a know it all twat, making arsey comments, unhelpful , pointless nobbish posts.

I understand forums are like bars ....and if it was I'd have told him to F*** off by now .

So due to him being a dickhead I wont be posting anymore , or helping anyone with anything - top work by the twat on that front .

Ban me or whatever - dickheads aren't something I need .